Heel pin extracting means



April Z, 1963 J. M. cHAFlN ETAL HEEL PIN EXTRACTING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet1 Filed Nov. 50, 1961 6 N. T my mm E R 6 VW m .M G

S NE m JJ MKM@ TTOR/YEY April 2, 1963 J. M. cHAFlN ETAL 3,083,385

HEEL PIN EXTRACTING MEANS Filed Nov. 30, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORSATT'RNEY 3,083,385 HEEL PDT EXTRACTING MEANS James M. Chafin and John G.Wright, Atlanta, Ga., assignors to The Auto-Soler Company, Atlanta, Ga.,a corporation of Georgia Filed Nov. 30, 196i, Ser. No. 155,987 6 Claims.(Cl. 12-5tl.5)

This invention relates to the repair of ladies shoes, and moreparticularly to a device that may be employed to unique advantage forpreparing the heels of ladies shoes to have top lifts replaced thereonin cases where the original top lifts were secured in place as a fittingon a heel pin that was in turn inserted in the heel block to serve alsoas a reinforcing dowel therefor.

The trend in recent years toward the use of extremely slender heelblocks in ladies shoes has made it necessary to adopt special measuresfor strengthening the heel blocks, and this has commonly been done withsocalled heel-pins, which are usually provided in a form generallysimilar to that of a fairly heavy nail, with suitable longitudinalribbing or the like added along the shank of the heel pin to enhance itsholding power, and with a top lift fitted at the nail-like head of thepin. For installation in the course of original manufacture, the heelblocks are bored for a press fit with the heel pins, which are thendriven into place as a reinforcing dowel, and as a means for securingthe top lifts at the lower ends of the heel blocks.

Such heel pin arrangements have substantially complicated thereplacement of worn top lifts, because the heel pins tend to be sofirmly inserted in the heel blocks as to render their extraction by anynormal means quite diicult, without at the same time objectionablydamaging the heel block or the shoe structure. The heel pins must beremoved, however, in order to replace the top lifts properly, and as anincreasing number of ladies shoes are being manufactured with heel pinreinforcements, there has been an increasingly troublesome problemraised in dealing with such shoes at the repair stage. The device of thepresent invention provides means for eliminating this problem by makingit possible to extract the heel pins readily and with exceptionalfacility. Briefly described, this device comprises a shoe restincorporating a seat for supporting the heel block with its lower endextending therethrough, and a plunger slidable in substantial alignmentwith the extending disposition of a heel block supported by the heelrest seat and carrying a gripping mechanism to engage the top liftfitted end of a reel pin in the supported heel block, so that theplunger may be drawn away through actuation at a rack portion thereof topull the pin from the heel block with ease; as described at furtherlength below in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FiG. l is a side elevation illustrating a heel pin extracting deviceembodying the present invention as arranged for operation in associationwith a heel attaching apparatus;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged and fragmentary front elevation, partly insection, that illustrates further the structural details of the heel pinextracting device shown in FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the adjustable jaw mechanism seen in FiG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan View of the shoe rest seen in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a more or less schematic illustration of the manner in which aheel pin is extracted by the device of the present invention.

While a heel pin extracting device may be readily constructed inaccordance with the present invention as a separately constituted unitfor independent installation p ic and use, there is substantialadvantage in arranging it as an adjunct of heel attaching apparatus suchas is disclosed and claimed in copending application Serial No. 34,530,filed June 7, 1960, by lohn G. Wright, and the invention is accordinglyillustrated and described in detail, as a matter of convenience, interms of an embodiment arranged for use and operation in associationwith such apparatus.

As shown in the drawings, the illustrated embodiment of the presentinvention comprises a shoe rest that is designated generally by thereference numeral l0, and a jaw mechanism that is indicated generally atl2; the shoe rest l@ being arranged to form a fixed support for a shoe Sincorporating a heel block H from which a heel pin P fitted with a worntop lift T is to be removed (see FG. 5), and the jaw mechanism ll'beingprovided for manipulation with respect to the supported shoe S to gripthe Worn top lift T (and adjacent end of the heel pin P if need be) andexert the necessary pulling force to extract the heel pin P in themanner illustrated schematically by FlG. 5.

The heel attaching apparatus of the above noted copending applicationSerial No. 34,530, with which the shoe rest itl and jaw mechanism 12 areassociated in the illustrated embodiment, is arranged in general, asshown in FiG. 1, with a suitable supporting frame structure M carryingat its base portion an upwardly extending nailing head 'lo from whichheel attaching fasteners may be driven in a heel block H' of a shoe Sinverted over the upper nailing head end; the driving force beingobtained from downward pressure of -a plunger 1S having a foot piece 2i)arranged at its lower end to bear on a heel collar 22 through which thepressure is transferred to the heel block H' and then in turn to thenailing head 16. For exerting this downward driving pressure, theplunger i8 is slidably mounted at the upper portion of the framestructure 14, and has rack teeth Z4 formed at one side thereof that areengaged by a pinion shaft 26 journaled adjacently in the frame structureltand arranged to carry a gear 2,3, while a meshing pinion 30 (togetherwit-h a retaining and shrouding washer 30") is mounted on a countershaft32 that is also journaled in the frame structure 114 and that has a handwheel 341 of substantial diameter fixed thereon, from which the plunger'i8 may be opera-ted uniquely and at the exceptional mechanicaladvantage explained at length in the previously notedcopending-application Serial No.l 34,530.

The previously noted shoe rest 10 is associated with the above describedheel attaching apparatus by means of a support stud 35 that is threadedat one end and fitted with a lock nut 3S for securing on the framestructure 14 with an upright disposition as shown in FIG. l. As thesupport stud 3d -is aligned directly above the countershaft 32 in theillustrated embodiment, its threaded end may also be obliquely drilled,as seen'in dotted lines at 36', to provide an oil channel through whichthe countershaft 32` may be lubricated.

At the upper end of the support stud 36, a body member 4@ is fixed inplace by a `set screw 42, the body member 40 being formed with amounting recess at.40 in which the upper end of stud 36 is received forengagement by the set screw 42. The shape of the body member 4t) is suchas to reach upwardly from .the support stud 36 to an angled portion thatis apertured at 44 to form an annular' seat in which a heel block H maybe supported with its lower end depending therethrough, while its upperportion is advantageously held and positioned by the surrounding supportof the seat 44. The seat aperture 44 is fitted with a suitableprotective covering 46 of felt or the like to cushion the supported heelblock -H against damage, and the body member 40 is fixed inf-place byvthe set screw 42 so that the heel seat 44 is aligned above the upperend of the slidable plunger 1S, as noted at greater length furtherbelow.

To complete the shoe rest 10, the body member 4) is additionallyarranged to carry a bail member 48 that is adapted to actas a supportfor the sole portion of a shoe S when the heel block H thereof is heldin the aperture seat 44. This sole supporting .bail member 48, as seen'in FIG. 4, is formed with a pair of pivot legs 58 that have inwardlyturned .trunnion portions S2 disposed in bearing bores 54 provided inthe body member litt, and the spacing of the bail member pivot legs 50is propor tioned in an extent that is less `than the width of the bodymember 40, so that the pivot legs 50 must assume an outwardly spreaddisposition when the bail member 48 is installed on the body member 40,which induces a frictional gripping action by the pivot legs 50,adjacent the edges of the body member 40 across which these legs 50project, that is adequate to hold the bail member 48 at a selected solesupporting position while allowing it to be shifted readily for anynecessary adjustments to suit the particular forms of diferent shoestyles. t

The related pin pulling jaw mechanism 12 provided according to thepresent invention, as previously noted, for manipulation in relation tothe shoe rest 10, comprises a base block 56 that is centrally slottedboth longitudinally, as at 58, and transversely, as at 60, and that issecured at the top end ace'of the plunger 18 by suitable machine screws62 or like arranged in the transverse slotting 60 to one side of thelongitudinal slotting 58. At each end, the jaw block 56 has respectiveback-up and thrust plates 64 and 66 fixed thereon across thelongitudinal slotting 58, and is additionally fitted with cover plates68 by which the longitudinal slotting adapted to contain oppositelyarranged fixed and movable jaw members 70 and 72.

The position of the Yixed jaw member 70 is located against a set screw74 arranged in the adjacent back-up plate 64, and is held in place by a-second set screw 76 that extends laterally through the base block 56;While the movable jaw member 72 is fslidably disposed for positioning byan operating screw 78 that acts within a threaded bore 80 of the jawmember 72. The operating screw 78 is formed with a shank portion 82 thatextends through the thrust plate 66 to have a manipulating knob 84 fixedthereon, and the base block 56 is notched at 86 yto provide clearancefor a ilange 88 formed on the shank p0rtion 80 by which the operatingscrew 78 is positioned in the base block 56 adjacent the thrust plate66, an interposed thrust washer 90 being provided to avoid binding ofthe ange 88 against the thrust plate 66 under the load imposed thereatwhen the vmovable jaw member 72 is closed for gripping action inopposition to the fixed jaw member 70.

A heel pin extracting device arranged according to the present inventionin the foregoing manner is employed to extract heel pins P as follows.vHaving iixed the shoe rest body member 40 in place so that the heelblock seat 44 is alignedrabove the plunger 18, and having set the solesupporting bail member 48 so that a shoe S placed on the shoe rest l issupported with the heel block H depending at a substantially verticaldisposition through the heel block seat 44, the related jaw mechanism 12is raised to the level of the top lift fitted end of the heel pin P andthe xed jaw member '70 thereof is located to assume a' close positionsidewise of thetop lift T Without disturbing appreciably the verticallydepending disposition of the supported heel block H` Such initiallocation of the fixed jaw member 70 in relation to a reprelsentativeheel block H of the type that is usually tted with a heel pin P willarrangeY the jaw mechanism`12 for eiective use in most instances thatare apt normally to be encountered, although this jaw member 70 mayalways be relocated in any particular instance in which the heel block Hbeing dealt with makes its relocation necessary or desirable.

Assuming then that the shoe rest 10 has been arranged as indicated aboveto support a ishoe S with the heel block H thereof depending through theseat 44 for eX- traction of a top lift fitted heel Ptherefrom, and thatthe fixed jaw member 70 has been located properly in relation to theparticular heel block H being handled, the extraction operation iscommenced by raising the jaw mechanism 12 through manipulation of thehand wheel 34 until the xed and movable jaws 70 and 72 are disposed atopposite sides of the top litt T carried on the heel pin P that is to beremoved. As this is done, the movable jaw member 72 will have previouslybeen opened in relation to the fixed jaw member 70 so that the top liftT is at rst received freely therebetween, and then the manipulating knob84 used to rotate the operating screw 78 in the direction that 'closesthe movable jaw 72 in relation to the iixed jaw 70 for a gripping biteon the top lift T.

With the jaw mechanism 12 gripping the top lift T in this manner, it isonly necessary then to operate the hand wheel 34 again in the oppositedirection for lowering the jaw mechanism 12 to exert the pulling forcerequired to extract the heel pin H in the manner indicated in FIG. 5.The previously described gearing of the hand wheel 34 for operating theslidable plunger 18 makes it possible to apply the extracting force byan exceptionally easy and practically effortless manipulation of thishand wheel 34, and the aligned disposition of the shoe rest seat 44above the plunger -18 provides for a similar alignment with the jawmechanism 12, so that the extracting force is directed in substantialalignment vwith the depending disposition of the heel block H from itscushioned support in the seat 44, to allow removal of the heel pin Preadily without subjecting the heel block H to undue strain or togripping damage of any sort in holding it while the heel pin removal isetfected.

Once the heel pin P has been pulled loose, the shoe S will be ready forremoval from the shoe rest 10 to have the further repair work done thatis necessary to replace the worn top lift T thereon, While the extractedheel pin P will be released from the lowered jaw mechanism 12 by openingthe movable jaw 72 and thereby the device is ready to commence asubsequent heel pin extraction whenever the occasion arises.

'I'he present invention has been described above for purposes ofillustration only, and is not intended to be limited by this descriptionor otherwise except as deiined in the appended claims. Y

We claim:

1. Means of the character described for extracting a heel pin from theheel block of a ladies shoe, said means comprising a shoe restincorporating an annular seat for supporting said heel block with itslower end extending therethrough, a plunger slidable in substantialalignment with the extending disposition of a heel block supported bysaid shoe rest seat, means carried by the end of said plunger adjacentsaid heel block for gripping a heel pin at the lower end of thesupported heel block, a rack formed lengthwise of said plunger at oneside thereof, and means engaging said rack for drawing said plunger awayfrom said shoe rest. Y

2. Means of the character described for extracting a heel pin from theheel block of a ladies shoe having a top lift secured at the lower heelblock end as a fitting on Va heel Vpin inserted in said heel block toserveV also as a reinforcing dowel therefor, said means comprising ashoe rest incorporating an annular seat for supporting said heel blockwith its lower end depending therethrough, a plunger slidable insubstantial alignment with the depending disposition ofv a heel blocksupported by said shoe rest seat, a jaw mechanism carried by theadjacent end of said plunger for gripping the top lift tted end of saidheel pin, a rack formed lengthwise of said plunger at one side thereof,and means operable on said rack for drawing said plunger away from saidshoe rest.

3. Means of the character described for extracting a heel pin from theheel block of a ladies shoe having a top lift secured at the lower heelblock end as a fitting on a heel pin inserted in said heel block toserve also as a reinforcing dowel therefor, said means comprising aframe structure, a shoe rest iixed on said frame structure andincorporating an annular seat for supporting said heel block with itslower end depending therethrough, a plunger carried by said framestructure for longitudinal sliding movement in substantial alignmentwith the depending disposition of a heel block supported by said shoerest seat, an adjustable jaw mechanism carried by the adjacent end ofsaid plunger for lateral gripping engagement with the top lift iittedend of a heel pin inserted in a supported heel block depending from saidshoe rest seat, a rack formed lengthwise of said plunger at one sidethereof, and means disposed on said frame structure for operablyengaging said rack to cause sliding movement of said plungeralternatively to dispose said jaw mechanism for gripping engagement withsaid heel pin end and to draw said plunger away from said shoe rest forextracting said heel pin.

4. Means of the character described as defined in claim 3 and furthercharacterized in that said last mentioned means includes a gear elementrotatably mounted on said frame structure in engagement with said rack,and means for rotating said gear element at substantial mechanicaladvantage.

5. Means of the character described as defined in claim 4 and furthercharacterized in that said gear element is a pinion, and said rotatingmeans is formed by a countershaft geared to rotate said pinion andcarrying a handwheel of substantial diameter for operating rotationthereof.

6. Means of the character described as defined in claim 3 and furthercharacterized in that said shoe rest additionally incorporates means forsupporting the sole portion of a ladies shoe when the heel block thereofis placed in said annular seat, said sole supporting means comprising abail member formed with a pair of pivot legs that have inwardly turnedtrunnion portions engaging said shoe rest, the initial spacing of saidpivot legs being less than the width of said shoe rest so that they mustassume an outwardly spread disposition when said trunnion portions areengaged with said shoe rest, whereby a frictional gripping action bysaid pivot legs is induced at said shoe rest to maintain said bailmember at a selected sole supporting position while leaving it free tobe shifted readily to another.

References Cited in the ile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,368,311 Williams Feb. 15, 1921 1,765,885 Scherm June 24, 19302,992,445 Nelson July 18, 1961

1. MEANS OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED FOR EXTRACTING A HEEL PIN FROM THEHEEL BLOCK OF A LADIES'' SHOE, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A SHOE RESTINCORPORATING AN ANNULAR SEAT FOR SUPPORTING SAID HEEL BLOCK WITH ITSLOWER END EXTENDING THERETHROUGH, A PLUNGER SLIDABLE IN SUBSTANTIALALIGNMENT WITH THE EXTENDING DISPOSITION OF A HEEL BLOCK SUPPORTED BYSAID SHOE REST SEAT, MEANS CARRIED BY THE END OF SAID PLUNGER ADJACENTSAID HEEL BLOCK FOR GRIPPING A HEEL PIN AT THE LOWER END OF THESUPPORTED HEEL BLOCK, A RACK FORMED LENGTHWISE OF SAID PLUNGER AT ONESIDE THEREOF, AND MEANS ENGAGING SAID RACK FOR DRAWING SAID PLUNGER AWAYFROM SAID SHOE REST.